Grandparents are ignorant not malicious, send them pamphlets on epilepsy, highlighted if necessary and allow them to educate themselves. If they don't then just ignore, most people are arses about something, love them anyway if you can.

Dogs die, they get hit by cars and die naturally, it's shit. He was a loved dog, which is better for the dog but worse for the owner.

I totally get how hard these things hit in a hard week. I've been upset over far less this week. It's stress.

Honk honk honk from me. Your posts are very honest and I look forward to them O goose from far away.

When it's our own families, no matter how challenging circumstances are, there is something in us that has a gritty determination and Just Gets On With It, with barely a wibble. We assimilate each new thing that's thrown at us and it becomes our normal.

This awful incident came to you out of the blue, though and you didn't have time to adjust in the same way. I'm sure there was a lot of grief and pressure behind those floodgates that were opened.

And now I'm going to give up trying to be thoughtful because DS2's running and bouncing round in circles and shrieking and making me dizzy!

I can understand why the dog not making it hit you hard too. It's the harshness of it all isn't it. I'm sure the dog will have known he was helped though and the man will always remember your kindness.

I'm a dog lover and you did a wonderful thing, for the dog and for the young man. The dog will have known in his last few hours that people were looking after him and his master and the man will have known that there are people willing to put themselves out for others no matter what.

I can understand why this was the 'straw' - things like this reinforce that the world is a harsh, unforgiving and unfair place sometimes. And harsh and unfair things so often happen to the most vulnerable, the ones we have a natural instinct to protect - sometimes a beloved animal companion and worst of all, our children - and when those things happen we're too often powerless.

Please know you did all you could and take comfort from the fact that you tried your hardest to make the world a happier place. Sending you hugs and honks.

But tell us more about your week. The stuff with the grandparent sounds difficult - your situation sounds hard enough without people minimising it. Here to listen if you want to talk.

I've been there, but with stray dogs, many times in the past and it was awful, without all the stress you already have on your plate at the moment.

You are amazing, with everything you have going on, you still stopped and helped, when many others would have just passed on by.

Auntevil is right. Much as the young man will be heartbroken, your help and kindness will be so important to him, give him faith that there are good people in the world and knowing that you and he did everything you possibly could to help his dog will be a comfort.

Honk for starters.What you did do for that man was give him hope that his dog could be saved. He will also know that everything was done. When he feels sad, he will be thinking kindly of you thinking that a good samaritan tried to help him and his dog.Shitty stuff happens - all we can do is our best. You did your very best.So massive HONKS for helping at a time when you could have justifiably just driven on.

Things here have been up and down - such is the life of all of us, of course, but the ride has been a whole lot wilder recently.

The last week or so have been insane - major medication changes, toxic reactions, wicked increase in seizures, a grandparent who doesn't think that Bee's seizures are anything to worry about because she doesn't convulse, consultation with a surgeon for more procedures... very much up and down.

So, on our way back home from the surgeon's appointment 200 km away, we come upon a young man standing in the middle of the road whose dog has just been hit by a dump truck. I am a paramedic by trade, so we do what we can, but there is no way he can transport the dog in his car. We load him and his dog up into our truck and turn around to head back into the city to get them to an emergency veterinary clinic... the dog was conscious and breathing when we arrived. I just rung the clinic and the dog died last night from massive head injuries.

I am not sure why, perhaps it is just that this is the proverbial straw that broke the camel's back, but knowing that we were unable to help just has me gutted. It was obvious that this dog was his master's "everything" - his anguish was palpable. I am feeling right now the same way I did if we lost a patient back when I was working for the ambulance service.